Warnings added to prostate cancer drugs

New warnings will be added to the labels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, a class of drugs primarily used to treat men with prostate cancer, the FDA announced last week.

The warnings will alert patients and their health care professionals to the potential risk of heart disease and diabetes in men treated with these medications, based on an FDA analysis which found that patients receiving GnRH agonists were at a small increased risk for diabetes, heart attack, stroke and sudden death.

GnRH agnoists are marketed under the brand names Eligard, Lupron, Synarel, Trelstar, Vantas, Viadur, and Zoladex. Several generic products are also available.